1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games of chance and, more particularly, to methods and systems for metered, raffle-style gaming implemented over a distributed network of locations and suitable for use in several gaming environments, including without limitation lottery and casino gaming environments.
2. State of the Art
Casino gaming and lotteries have proliferated in recent years. As the number of casinos and other gaming outlets has increased, competition to attract customers has also increased. As a consequence, not only has there been a need for gaming operators to attract new customers, the need to retain old customers has become more compelling. Customer retention becomes increasingly difficult as games, even ones that have been successful at one time, become well played and cease to provide entertainment for players. As a result, there is a continuing need for participants in the gaming industry to develop new games that are exciting and entertaining. Games that retain their excitement and entertainment value, even after being played many times, are particularly sought after.
The current generation of casino gaming machines typically involves the generation of a random or quasi-random, outcome which is matched against preselected potential winning combinations to determine if the player has won. These games are represented by conventional gaming machines, also termed “slot” machines.
Many new games have been developed in the last few years to try to meet casino demand. Most of these games, however, are variations on conventional casino gaming machines involving. minimal player participation the player in the outcome of the gaming event.
A number of different techniques have been attempted to increase player interest in conventional gaming machines. Among these techniques has been a proliferation of games which add a bonus game to a base or primary game of a gaming machine. However, even with a bonus game, the player only provides some minimal physical input, (such as pushing a button, pulling a lever, or touching a touch screen) to start the gaming machine's random selection of the bonus multiplier. Efforts to increase player interest have also involved theming games to popular television shows, movies, and celebrities to attract customers.
Bonus games and the theme enhancements still rely upon conventional gaming machines and determine a player's game outcome completely independent of player action. Once the novelty of one of these gaming machines incorporating a bonus game or theme is exhausted, its popularity and the success may end prematurely and the resulting lack of patronage forces such gaming machines off the casino floor at significant cost to the casino and in many instances, the provider of the gaming machine.
Another method to increase gaming interest includes the use of progressive games, which allow a number of players to contribute and compete for a common jackpot. The success of progressive jackpot gaming lies in its ability to accumulate a substantial monetary jackpot. Games that provide large payouts, even if they are seldom hit, are highly desired by many players.
Progressive gaming systems typically are configured as individual gaming terminals connected to a central controller. All of the players on the networked terminals contributing toward the jackpot as they play. Progressive pools are maintained and accumulated as associated wager information is received. The substantial jackpots that are accumulated become very attractive and strongly motivate people to continue to play the game. Again, however, conventional gaming machine requiring no player skill are used to qualify a player for the progressive jackpot. Consequently and despite the progressive prize, these types of games still may become mundane as they require no significant input from the player.
Lottery gaming has become very popular with a large segment of the population of the various jurisdictions in which it is offered. Some lottery games involve purchase of a ticket at, for example, a retail outlet such as a convenience store, the ticket providing potential for a winning result in a periodic drawing. Other lottery games provide so-called “instant” wins for the purchaser, who knows immediately upon purchase of a ticket if a winning result has been achieved.
Few games of chance are attractive for implementation in a casino environment as well as in a lottery environment. Fewer still provide continuing, perceptibly “predictable” periodic awards occurring on a frequent basis and which may include substantial monetary awards if a multi-tiered game architecture is selected. In addition, there is a notable void in the gaming art with respect to games wherein timing of a player's wager provides an element of perceived skill in the game.